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Chapter Text

Singh attempted to check the occupant in the back seat of the SUV discreetly, only to be caught red-handed by an exasperated Tharn and an understanding Yai. Although Tharn had miraculously returned to them a little over six months ago, some days Singh was scared that this was just wishful thinking. While Tharn may be tired of every side-eyed glance to make sure he was really here, he was also understanding of what everyone went through after his kidnapping. He was taking it all in stride, or at least as much as Tharn takes any scrutiny in stride. The group dynamic shifted significantly with Tharn and Phaya back in the field. Akk was cautious, seemingly due to guilt, to which Singh could not figure out a reason. Khem and Thongthai pulled in closer as they circled the wagons around Tharn. Phaya and Tharn were officially boyfriends, but dancing around something more serious than just dating, all the while doing their level best to heed Akk’s warnings to “keep it professional.” 

Tharn’s return brought with it a revelation to the entire group - he had the extraordinary gift of experiencing visions and premonitions. Suddenly, all the times Tharn had called Singh with some burst of inspiration on their case that came out of left field made much more sense. Akk had laid down the laws of how and when to use Tharn’s powers with an emphasis on having evidence to back up any “supernatural investigation techniques.” 

Singh had investigated Tharn’s disappearance far more than he let on. Digging deep into Chalothorn’s history, or lack of one by modern standards. The man didn’t exist at all until Med School. Then Singh had found a hidden camera in Montree’s warehouse. Watching the footage from the raid, a giant mythical Naga appeared out of nowhere, saved Tharn, became a moving cloud, coalesced into a half naked Chalothorn, who fled out a side door during the battle. To say Singh buried that evidence on his personal tablet under at least three layers of security was an understatement. Phaya literally diving into a river day after day, searching for Tharn, made much more sense with that context. 

Tharn was back now, and that was all that mattered in the long run. Singh would just keep his research in his back pocket for a rainy day (and a constant tech surveillance around Tharn’s locations for any sign of Chalothorn). Singh was secretly overprotective of those he viewed as friends and family.

When it came to handling Tharn’s visions, everyone figured Yai would have Tharn handled since he had dealt with Tharn’s abilities the longest. Turns out Yai is nothing but an enabler in the moment, then scolds Tharn later. It also turns out that uninhibited by hiding his visions, Tharn is more fierce and unpredictable than any of them imagined.

Currently, Akk had sent Singh into the field, a rarity to be sure, but Singh was so ecstatic to be out from his dark dungeon that he was nearly skipping to the car. The team was working on a case with a corporate component, so there were documents to sift through, none of which the company was allowing off campus. So Singh had to go to the documents in this case. Tharn had picked the short straw, hence he had to spend the day watching Singh work. Yai, of course, had volunteered to go with. Singh was actually glad it was Yai and Tharn because of all the teammates, they complained the least when they had to accompany Singh.

“Thank you guys for backing me up.” Singh said as he exited Yai’s SUV parked outside the corporate high rise.

“No problem,” Tharn said as stretched his legs and back. “I am still a little sore from running after that group yesterday, so a quiet day in an office is appreciated.”

“Okay, let’s go secure where they set you up.” Yai locked his vehicle and headed for the entrance.

Soon Singh was situated in a conference room with credentials to be in the company’s system. At least up to a point. Not that Singh couldn’t get anywhere he wanted now that they had rolled out the welcome mat, but no need to put the company on alert. While Singh loved hacking and digital investigations, sifting through financial statements to search for anomalies was not his idea of a good time. It was tedious, mind numbing work, but at least the company had sprung for plush seats. 

Two hours in and he was bored.

“Well, this is less exciting than I thought it would be,” Yai commented. “I mean, not even a suspicious side eye from anyone walking past.”

“Yeah, but this isn’t the floor where the crime occurred. Plus, the employee movements are highly restricted.” Tharn added while spinning in his chair like a child. He was far more expressive and much less reserved than before his disappearance. 

“So the victim died about three floors above us, right?” Yai spun Singh’s extra tablet around and opened the drawing app. He labeled the executive floor, then drew in the rest of the 10 floors that this specific company rented. 

“Singh, do you have access to the restrictions on each floor?” Tharn asked, finally stopping his twirling to pull up to the table beside Yai.

Not technically, “one moment,” Singh tapped some keys, worked his magic and presto, hello security. The company desperately needed a security upgrade. That was way too easy. “Here let me.” Singh labeled each of the floor by restriction code and linked in the actual floor plans he had secured before they had left IDF, then turned the tablet, sliding it back to Tharn and Yai.

“Thanks.” Tharn accepted the tablet and stared intently at it. After a couple of minutes, his brows scrunched together. Setting the tablet down, Tharn pulled his knife and headed to the back of the room. “Yai, pull the privacy curtains, please.”

Yai did as instructed, then just stood back, watching Tharn, who was prying at a piece of square wood paneling. Singh was contemplating how much destruction of property would cost them when a snapping sound echoed through the room. The square panel fell away to reveal an opening in the wall that was significantly bigger than it should be. Tharn stuck his head into the hole, looked up and then down, then turned back to Singh. “It’s some sort of shaft or metal tubing, but square. Would this bypass security? Could this be how the killer got onto the executive floor and away cleanly?”

“One minute.” Singh dug a little deeper into their system, looking for details of this mysterious metal shaft that was smaller than an elevator but bigger than air conditioning pathways. He was coming up with zilch. It appeared that security either didn’t know it was there or didn’t think anyone else did since no sensors were registered in the location. Checking the security evaluations, he saw no mention of a small metal shaft in the middle of the building. “I am not seeing anything.” Singh said, lifting his head to find Yai. 

And only Yai. 

They were one IDF teammate down. “Where’s Tharn?” Singh asked the obvious.

Yai pointed toward the open hole in the wall.

Singh tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

“Tharn said he was small enough, so he wanted to climb it to see where it led?” When had all this happened, Singh had been on the computer for maybe a couple of minutes?

“And you didn’t think to stop him? If he slips, he will fall six stories at least.” Singh was out of his seat and shoving his head and shoulders into the opening. Damn, it was tight. How did Tharn fit his whole body all the way into the space? The small man was nowhere to be seen, though. “Where is he?”

“He said he would let me know if he could get out on another floor.” Yai shrugged like he didn’t just let Tharn climb through a highly secure building in a vertical space with no safety equipment. “He’s the only one that would fit anyway, having lost some of the extra muscle during his-” Yai’s voice trailed off a moment before he cleared his throat, changing the trajectory of his thoughts. “Tharn is like a monkey. He never falls.” Yai seemed to think hard for a moment. “Well, almost never.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be extra cautious with him since he your his brother? He was missing for a year. We only just got him back.”

“Just because he is pocket sized doesn’t mean he can’t take me down. I found it easier to just let him do his thing then help in the aftermath.” Yai waved his hand at the open hole like that explains why Tharn is somewhere in the building with a possible killer without back up.

Singh threw himself into his chair and started clicking away to see if he could hack into the security footage just in case Tharn showed up somewhere he shouldn’t be when the sound of something, or more like someone, pinging through a metal tube reverberated in the walls. Yai and Singh’s head snapped to the opening in time for a blur of colors to drop past. A loud grunt echoed, then a hand caught the edge of the opening with a pained yelp. Dust and plaster blasted into the pristine conference room.

“A little help here?” Tharn’s strained voice called.

“Shit.” Yai said, but Singh was faster. Diving to the ground, he latched onto Tharn’s wrist. Singh braced his feet on either side of the hole and pulled, Tharn slowly slid into the room. Grasping Tharn’s other hand when his shoulder cleared, Singh yanked harder. Yai must have helped at some point because all three landed in a heap of tangled limbs, wheezing.

“Sorry about that, wasn’t expecting a vision while I was trying to climb back down.” Tharn coughed, a fine layer of dust floated into the air every time he moved. “Good news. I know how the killer got up to the executive floor unnoticed. The dust is gone from the ledge and there are tool marks all over the inside of the wood paneling. It leads to a small closet on the executive floor that was unlocked. Conveniently, the killer dropped the weapon at the bottom of the shaft because she didn’t think anyone else could find it.”

“Oh, it was the financial manager then.” Yai clapped his hands together once. “I was so right. Ha, Phaya.”

“What’s the bad news?” Singh was afraid to ask. They were almost disentangled, Yai letting a huffing and puffing Tharn lean on him.

“I think I need to go to the station infirmary.” Tharn lifted an arm, which had rivulets of blood running down to his wrist, a large gash in his biceps.

“Your head is bleeding, too.” Yai poked it and received an exasperated “ow” from Tharn in return. “You need a concussion check.”

Singh groaned. “Captain Akk and Phaya are going to kill me.”

Tharn snorted. “Do we have to tell Phaya about this? Can’t we just say I tripped walking in the parking lot?”

“After that man spent a year slowly dying looking for you? I report everything, rascal brother.” Yai laughed and tussled Tharn’s hair, which was a mistake as all three sneezed from the dust thrown into the air.

Singh texted Captain Akk to tell him what Tharn found (and how) and was unsurprised when he, not Tharn, received a response in all caps.

When Tharn’s phone sounded Phaya’s special ringtone, the small man flopped onto his back with a loud whine.

Yai laughed gleefully as he answered Tharn’s phone on speaker.

Chapter Text

Thongthai walked the perimeter of the burnt shell of the building. A couple days ago, multiple IDF units with ranger backup had breached the building, trying to arrest a group of smugglers. The moment IDF breached the building, a rapidly spreading fire ignited and everyone pulled back. After extinguishing the fire, they searched the building but they didn’t find anyone. The IDF teams had no clue how the group had evaded them, so they had asked Akk’s team for a second opinion.

Looking over the fire report, Thongthai checked the conclusions with what he was observing in the building itself. Last night, he had borrowed every book from the forensics library on fire science so he could get his hands on. Akk had sent Tharn and Yai as back up. Those two split off to search near the wooded area.

Their superior officer was still trying to figure out how his team worked with two established couples. He had been splitting them up lately after a minor mishap during a raid. Thongthai may have lost his mind a little when Khem went radio silent. An understanding Phaya, to his credit, helped Thongthai veer off course to check on Khem because Thongthai would have done the same for Phaya if it had been Tharn. The result was an opening that the group had exploited, forcing Akk and Tharn to compensate. Luckily, there were no injuries, but Akk was furious. Phaya and Tharn had been good natured about the, “no couples in the field together” rule. Although honestly, Thongthai and Khem hadn’t been partners in the field during the “incident” so no one was sure what problem the new rule solved.

As Thongthai continued along the path, he couldn’t figure out how the smugglers had vanished into thin air. Returning to the front of the building, he spotted Yai leaning against a light pole on the front pathway. The building itself was half collapsed and creaked threateningly, signaling that it would implode if someone so much as sneezed near it. Akk’s strict instructions were to stay out of the building, not that anyone could actually walk into the maze of metal, burnt wood and other materials stacked up like an unstable version of a house of cards.

“Anything?” Yai asked while attempting to play nonchalant, but his eyes kept straying to the front of the building. “We saw nothing amiss.”

Why was Yai acting squirrelly? “Nothing definitive yet.” Thongthai searched the vicinity, but it was only himself and Yai. “Where’s Tharn?”

Yai scratched his neck behind his right ear. His tell.

Shit.

“As long as he isn’t in the building.” Thongthai rubbed his temple.

Yai’s eyes widened.

“How did he even get in there?” Thongthai looked at the debris that was haphazardly leaning against each other, creating a makeshift wall of sorts.

“Well, I mean, his year with Chalothorn,” Yai spat the man’s name like he just ate bad sushi, “left Tharn with significant weight loss.” Yai pointed to the tiniest triangle opening at the very bottom of the debris pile.

Thongthai winced. When the team had received a call from Phaya saying that Tharn had miraculously appeared, they had raced to Tharn’s grandmother’s house. Nothing had prepared Thongthai for walking into the house and spotting a very thin Tharn. He looked so much smaller than even at the start of training camp. Since then Tharn had put on muscle but he was still leaner than he ever was, which just made their already Pocket Sized Detective that much smaller.

And apparently that much wilier.

“Why?” Thongthai asked.

“He saw a vision and wanted to check on something. He thinks he may know how the group exited the building.” There was a pause. “Maybe.”

Thongthai kneeled down, peering into the small opening, hoping he could see his teammate, but it was just more debris. How had Tharn snuck through there? This was a nightmare that Thongthai had had in some form since Tharn’s return, that he would lose his friend right after finally getting him back. “Have you checked in with him recently?”

“Couple minutes ago now.” Yai straightened before hollering at the ruins in front of them. “Tharn?”

Silence.

Thongthai took a couple of steps forward, cupping his hands around his mouth. “Tharn, we need you to respond.” Thongthai’s life depended on Tharn being alive because it was a toss up who would kill him first, Akk or Phaya. Hell, Khem was extra fond of this new and sassier version of Tharn. Thongthai couldn’t bear to lose his friend again.

He and Yai waited, but nothing but the creaking of unstable debris met their ears.

“Little rascal brother!” Yai tried again, “please.”

The center of the building collapsed in a screech of metal and splintering wood. Thongthai grabbed Yai and yanked him further away as soot bellowed from the building.

“Tharn! Tharn!” Yai was struggling against Thongthai’s hold, trying desperately to get to the building.

Thongthai got in Yai’s face, bodily blocking the more muscular man. “Yai, I can’t help Tharn and hold you back. You need to calm down and think rationally.”

When Yai stopped trying to run for the building, Thongthai pulled out his phone and dialed Akk.

“What?” Akk’s brusque voice answered.

“Sir, Tharn had a vision and entered the building to ascertain the location of a possible exit.” Brief and to the point was best when relaying anything to their superior.

The long-suffering sigh carried over the phone. “Of course he did. Can you verbally reach him?”

“No and well, sir, the building had a collapse.” Yai was heaving large pieces of debris out of the way, trying to clear a path that he could fit through. Unfortunately, the building was a collapsed Jenga pile, for every piece Yai removed two fell in its place. Tharn must have moused his way through the small openings at the bottom. Thongthai was more than a little impressed.

“Fuck! Turn us around, Phaya. We are heading to Thongthai’s location.” Akk barked, then continued spilling orders to the other team members in the car.

Thongthai could hear Phaya questioning Akk, to no avail. Then Yai’s phone rang, Phaya’s name scrawled across the top banner.

Yai closed his eyes briefly before he picked up, holding the phone a good foot away from his ear as Phaya yelled. When Phaya paused to take a breath, Yai defended himself. “Why does everyone seem to think I have any control over Tharn?” 

Honestly, Thongthai was on Phaya’s side this time. Tharn was starting to buck against everyone’s over-protectiveness, but the smaller man hadn’t actually witnessed Phaya during their lost year. Thongthai had watched helplessly as Phaya slowly withdrew from life. By the end of the year, Phaya was a broken shell, his light extinguished. Tharn coming back had reversed the descent, but Thongthai would never forget Phaya’s soft apology for not being able to fully exist in this lifetime without Tharn.

Yai’s phone beeped, and he looked at the screen while Phaya’s voice continued to bark out of the receiver. Yai scrubbed a hand over his face with an aggrieved sigh. “Good news, Phaya,” Yai said over the racket. “Your boyfriend just texted me that he found the exit for the tunnels. So I didn’t lose him. Bye.” Yai hung up on Phaya mid-rant.

Yai headed into the woods at a decent clip, all stomps and growls, while Thongthai followed. When the forest opened up to a small clearing, they spotted a mud caked Tharn. Well, soot, mud and Thongthai winced because it looked like fresh blood on Tharn’s arm and his jawline. Phaya was really going to lose his mind. “The exit is just through that fence.” Tharn pointed to an old iron vertical fence that encased a large yawning hole.

Thongthai spoke clearly into his phone, not just for Akk’s sake but for Phaya, who was still losing his mind in the background. “Tharn is whole and healthy, covered in mud and soot, with a couple scrapes.” He received an affirmative from Akk and a thanks from Phaya, but he kept the line open for Phaya’s sake. As Akk, who loved hanging up mid sentence also kept the call connected, he must have had the same idea.

Tharn studied Yai and Thongthai, squinting at their expressions. “What did I miss?”

Thongthai answered, “the building collapsed and we could not reach you.”

Tharn had the foresight to look contrite. “I’m sorry. The tunnels are a maze down there. I didn’t even hear a collapse. Honestly, I don’t think the smugglers came out this exact way. There are probably multiple exits.”

“We are just glad you are okay.” Yai took a deep breath. “So, how do we get in there?” Yai pointed at the fence without a gate.

“Um, easy.” Tharn walked over to the fence, turned sideways and slipped between the impossibly tight bars like water through a sieve. “Tada.” He shook his jazz hands at shoulder height.

Yai sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose. “Yeah, how will not pocket sized people make it through the fence? Finding, say, a gate would be more helpful here, Tharn.”

Thongthai shook his head. “Sir, do we have any gear in the SUV that will cut through an iron fence?” He asked into the phone.

“Depends on the thickness of the bars. We need to call in a forensic team, anyway. Tell Tharn not to go anywhere that Yai cannot follow.” Akk added the last sentence quickly.

“Too late.” Thongthai laughed as Tharn tried to coax Yai into sliding between the bars, only for Yai to get stuck halfway through. The older man’s limbs flailing as he unsuccessfully tried to move in either direction.

“Seriously Tharn, why do I listen to you?” Yai tried to smack Tharn, but the younger brother danced out of arm's reach.

“Seriously, Yai, you are not that much bigger than me.” Tharn said as he again attempted to push Yai back out of the fence, the same way the muscular man went in.

“Teeny tiny rascal brother.” Yai answered, then yelped when Tharn’s full body slam did not result in Yai becoming unstuck either. It did, however, result in Yai getting painted in mud and soot on only one side of his body. Judging by Tharn’s self-satisfied smirk, that was the point. Thongthai leaned against a tree, watching the brothers switch between play fighting and trying to actually free a very stuck Yai.

“Need help?” Akk’s voice came from beside Thongthai. Turning his head, he looked over at Akk, who was also watching Tharn and Yai’s antics. Akk raised his voice for his recalcitrant subordinates. “Serves you right, Yai, for letting Tharn crawl into a condemned building.”

“Again, you act like I have a say in what Tharn does?” Yai waved his free arm around, almost smacking Khem, who was trying to pull him out while Tharn pushed from inside the fence.

“Yai thought it was a good idea for me to find the tunnel system, sir.” Tharn smirked at Yai, who mouthed, “fucking rascal brother.”

Spotting his boyfriend, Tharn turned sideways and slipped through the bars again so he could hug a frantic Phaya. Tharn reassured the taller man with soft words and grasping hands, stroking the taller man’s jaw and running his fingers through his hair.

“Fuck’s sake Tharn,” Yai yelled at the lover’s hugging. “Stop making out with your boyfriend and get me out of this fence.”

Thongthai guffawed while Akk groaned at the muddy hand prints Tharn left all over the back of Phaya’s crisp white button down. 

“Better not grab his ass Tharn or we will all know.” Khem yelled as he continued to try to push in Yai’s muscular chest so they could slide him out.

Akk shook his head at his Scooby Gang of an investigation squad. “Yai, once you are excavated, go find every blanket and towel in the SUVs to cover the seats because I am not paying to have the vehicles reupholstered.”

Chapter Text

“Yes, sir, we are currently rerouting to inspect those stores.” Khem listened as Yai checked in with Inspector Akk. Earlier, Tharn had a vision that hopefully would crack one of their current cases wide open, or at least let them locate the underground gambling ring. Currently, the man in question was sitting in the backseat rubbing his temple. This wasn’t Khem’s first rodeo with Tharn’s abilities. They were decidedly a pretty regular occurrence and every time, Khem winced for his friend. He couldn’t imagine having to carry everything that Tharn perceives because it wasn’t puppies and rainbows in his visions.

At least Tharn had finally learned to lean on the team as a whole, instead of just Yai or Phaya, sharing the burden no matter how small the vision. Though it had taken some serious coaxing from all of them since Tharn leaned towards self-sacrificing.

Phaya was Tharn’s pillar, literally. Sometimes the smaller man would just lean against his taller boyfriend when the pain was overwhelming. They were officially together, but still dancing around an engagement. Phaya bought the ring but had chickened out the night he would have proposed. Since Khem and Thongthai were actively planning their wedding now that Tharn was back, Khem was in wedding planning mode and he had some ideas as soon as Phaya actually asked. In fact, he had a binder ready to go.

Tharn’s phone buzzed and the corner of his lips quirked up in Khem’s rear-view mirror. Phaya must be texting Tharn. In fact, Tharn’s smile occurred more often than one lunar cycle since his return. His personality starting to peek through the storm clouds that had followed him for so long. Turns out, a large portion of that personality was being everyone’s pain in the ass to keep alive. Today it fell to Khem, since both Singh and Thongthai had assumed Yai would step up only to be very disappointed.

“Yes, sir. Understood, sir.” Yai hung up the phone and turned to Khem, who was still driving and thus couldn’t talk to his Baby. “Cap said go ahead with caution and don’t do anything stupid.”

“Does he know all who is in this car?” Khem asked as he rounded another corner heading towards the business Tharn had indicated. “None of us are known for making safe and sound decisions.”

“Phaya is worse than me.” Tharn commented off handedly.

“Fell down a vent shaft and nearly got crushed by fire debris…” Khem started listing off the past few months of the IDF team’s lives.

“Okay, okay.” Tharn held up his hands in surrender.

“Face it, little bro, you have been getting yourself into tiny situations lately.” Yai chuckled at his own joke.

“I am not small,” Tharn said petulantly.

Khem glanced over at Yai, whose laugh belied the seriousness of his facial expression. Being reminded of his little brother’s recent near misses was not the best idea. Khem really needed to employ a verbal filter. 

During the lost year, as Khem calls it, everyone had focused on Phaya falling apart. Then when Tharn reappeared, everyone banded together to help him transition back, but Khem had been worried about Yai, still was. About a month after Tharn’s disappearance, Khem had found a very intoxicated Yai in Tharn’s condo. With some coaxing, Yai had spilled all his guilt in a messy heap, complete with tears and snot. The older brother had a complete breakdown in Khem’s arms. 

Yai had blamed himself for letting Chalothorn into Tharn’s life. Had blamed himself for letting the Doc be Tharn’s psychiatrist. In Khem’s opinion, the fact that Chalothorn had treated Tharn in a professional capacity had made their friendship even more disturbing. Not that Khem would voice that thought aloud.

The team somehow overlooked the fact that Yai and Sand had lost their little brother. Instead, Yai had put on a brave face, tried to keep Phaya together and dealt with Tharn’s condo and all his possessions alone. Khem had supported Yai as much as he could, but it never felt like enough. Now that Tharn was back, Yai was his normal jovial self mostly, but there were moments where Khem could still see the toll the year had taken. He didn’t think Yai would ever be free from his self-imposed guilt, no matter how many times Khem had reminded the older man that it was never his fault.

“I’m fine.” Yai said out of the side of his mouth for only Khem to hear. “Stop scrutinizing me.”

Khem lifted his head in acknowledgment as he pulled into an empty spot out front of the address Tharn had given. “And we are here.” Khem threw the parking brake and turned towards the siblings. “What’s the plan?”

“From what I saw, there is a back room behind the counter somewhere.” Tharn said, leaning in between the front seats to study the building’s facade.

“Is it behind a door?” Khem asked.

“Not really.” Tharn shook his head.

“A window?”

“No.”

“Million baht for a clue there, prophet.” Khem needed something to go on.

Tharn threw Khem a look. “How about you distract the proprietor and Yai and I find the secret entrance?”

Well, that was underwhelming as far as plans go. 

“Okay, let’s do it.” Khem was nothing if not adventurous and ready to follow his teammates into impossible situations with little to no plans in place. 

Even ones dictated by visions with nothing tangible to go on.

Soon enough, they were walking into a bookstore. Seriously, a bookstore, quite possibly the least probable place for a mafia connected gambling situation. Khem was in trouble because, seriously, books? He considered himself a smart person for the most part, but reading was not his strong suit. And he definitely didn’t read for pleasure. Thongthai usually read work stuff, then gave Khem the cliffnotes version. Although Khem could listen to his Baby ramble for hours about whatever latest text he read. 

Khem turned to switch with Yai, but the brothers had disappeared already. “Just great.” 

The store was a series of tall bookshelves piled haphazardly with books of various sizes stacked in all different directions that looked one sneeze away from a rendition of dominoes of the entire store. He maneuvered around the stacks scattered randomly on the floor while not accidentally knocking down the first bookshelf domino until he finally reached the desk where a man in a tweed jacket, complete with elbow patches, sat. Behind the clerk were more bookcases, looking like they were about to tip forward at any moment, but no window, and definitely no visible door. Tharn better have some clue because Khem was a at a loss. 

Khem took a deep breath. Time to just pull this out of his ass.

“May I help you?” The man’s voice rasped.

“Yeah, I am looking for a book for my Baby. It’s our anniversary and I want to make it memorable.” Khem flashed his biggest smile.

The man softened immediately. “What type of books does she like?”

“Oh, no sorry. Not she. My Baby is all man.” Khem was laying it on thick because embarrassment was a great distraction.

The man cleared his throat but was unfazed. “I am sorry for the assumption. What types of books does your man like?”

Khem had to really focus when movement caught his eye. Tharn had made his way behind the counter and was currently crouched down, weaving in between the different stacks like he was practicing his evasive driving and the books were other cars. He was not hidden by any sense of the word. Keeping his eyes glued to the proprietor and his periphery focus on Tharn, Khem relaxed his body language to go for his dumb jock persona that will hopefully put the man at ease. “Baby is a voracious reader, always learning and expanding his mind. Recently he did this deep dive into accelerant burn patterns and the time before that, he was researching hidden passageways in older buildings.”

“So nonfiction?” The man was patient. Nothing but pleasantness and full attention to Khem, which was good because Tharn’s position was now precarious. The smaller man was not five feet away from the store attendant, and the books were swaying. Why was Tharn trying to climb the shelves now? Khem highly doubted that people dressed to the nines in suits and fancy dresses were scaling Mt Book-Everest to get into the club. 

Khem cleared his throat for his teammates to hurry this up and maybe hide a little better. “Not necessarily. He also likes a good mystery or detective story.”

“Noir, thriller or cozy fiction?” The man’s voice trailed off questionably when a book slipped because Tharn’s substantial ass for his pocket sized body knocked down a stack. Tharn lept behind a different book mound that, while tall enough, was not wide enough to hide him, again because the small man had a decent sized peach.

Shit. Khem was not supposed to be looking at anyone else's…. um.. nope not going there. He was the distraction.

Khem coughed a little, then continued in emergency mode. If all else failed, ramble. “Is there a difference because really I have no clue and I really want to surprise him?” Khem snapped his fingers and refocused the guy while continuing his steady stream of words. Luckily, it was working. “I mean, does noir mean the cover is black because really his books are all different colors or does it mean a time period, like the black plague? I know he likes to figure out the mystery before the end. Is that like a choose your own adventure then? Can you even do that in a novel?”

The guy, really Khem should have asked for a name, chuckled softly. “I would stick to nonfiction if you don’t know what type of detective novels he likes.” Tharn was on the move again, feeling the edge of the bookcases, then climbing, sticking his head and shoulders in a small gap between books on one shelf about seven feet off the ground. “We have some fantastic first editions, depending on his favorite subject.” The man continued on, oblivious to the scene playing out behind him.

Tharn stepped up onto another shelf and worked his shoulders into the bookcase a little more. A creak sounded softly. Khem needed to keep the manager distracted. “Oh, Oh, Oh.” He almost yelled, if all else failed go obnoxious. “My Baby is interested in learning about divination or the art of premonitions. It is pseudo science and truthfully, I believe a hoax, but what can you do?”

Tharn leaned out just enough to throw a look at Khem before he kept going. 

Serves him right for this craziness.

The man turned further away from the Tharn sized Elf on the Shelf. “Hmm, well, is there any other topic he finds interesting?” The man started typing into an ancient computer. Khem was pretty sure there were actual mice running on wheels to create the electricity that ran the ancient machine. “We don’t have a lot on that particular topic that would be worth anything.”

A squeak sounded a moment before Tharn disappeared through the bookcase. Headfirst. His body slipped effortlessly between the shelves and seriously, was there even an opening to fall through? The bookcase didn’t even rock. 

What the fuck just happened?

Khem choked.

The man looked around him alarmed. “Is everything okay?” 

Khem really should be handling this situation better, but he had just lost Tharn.

Phaya was going to kill him.

The books that had been teetering on the lower shelves collapsed, causing an avalanche of other books and stacks. 

Chaos reigned.

The man looked over at the mess. “Damn books. I wish the owner would organize the lot instead of continuing to buy junk.” 

“There you are, honey.” Yai’s voice boomed through the shop as he miraculously appeared beside Khem and threw his arm around him. “What are you doing in here? You hate reading.”

Khem recovered quickly. “Hey honey.” He smacked a kiss on Yai’s cheek because this whole thing has been a disaster from start to finish, so Yai deserved a little torture for enabling Tharn in this mess. “I must have gotten lost looking for you and thought you had headed in here to browse.”

“You know me so well,” Yai snuggled his nose into Khem’s cheek.

“Thank you, sir.” Khem mouthed “secret” to the man, hoping he would play along.

“You two have a nice day.” The man winked at Khem.

Soon enough, Khem and Yai were outside and heading for the SUV. “Where’s Tharn?” Khem asked as he hopped into the driver’s seat.

“Head into the side alley, right there.” Yai pointed just ahead, but his voice was tight and higher pitched than usual. Khem did as instructed and parked. 

Yai threw open the sunroof.

A pair of shoes blasted into the car and landed on the console. Yai grabbed them and threw them into the back seat. “What?” No sooner had the word left Khem’s mouth when Tharn landed on the console, or at least his feet and legs were in the car. He dropped and propelled himself into the back seat in one smooth move.

Khem took his first breath since they walked through the bookstore’s front doors.

“You will never believe what was in the back room?” Tharn said as he started putting his shoes back on.

“Books?” Khem asked because seriously Tharn had literally just jumped into the car through the sunroof like he hadn’t fallen headfirst through an opening seven feet in the air.

“Well, yes, but they were using stacks of books to hold up gambling tables. The place was set up for a game soon. We need to get an invitation.” Tharn threw his phone to Yai in the front seat.

“Well, isn’t that a creative use of books?” Yai turned the phone and zoomed in. “I wonder if that is where they are keeping all those first editions of the books on divinations,” Yai chuckled at his own joke.

“P’Sand likes me, don’t forget that.” Tharn answered as he buckled himself into the seat in the middle and leaned forward to snatch his phone from Yai.

Yai did a double take, then pointed at his shoulder, his cheek and his forearm. “You have some blood.”

Tharn groaned loudly. “Phaya is going to be worried and overprotective again for weeks. We just moved past the whole tunnel incident.”

Khem noticed Yai’s thumbs swiftly moving over his phone screen, positioned where Tharn wouldn’t be able to see. Not a minute after Yai pocketed his phone, Tharn’s blew up with Phaya’s ringtone.

“Seriously, Yai!” Tharn yelled.

Khem glanced over at a self satisfied Yai, glad that the older man was more like his old self every day.

Chapter Text

“Sir. All the cameras in the building, as well as outside the building, have been disabled.” Singh delivered that bad news while his fingers continued to fly across his keyboard.

There were hostages in a warehouse, surrounded by forest with no ability for authorities to see into the building. Disgruntled former employees of the company were determined to make their former boss pay up what they felt they were owed. Now Akk and his Scooby Gang team, along with several other authorities, were stuck waiting either for the negotiator to break through or for some sort of inside look so they knew where everyone was.

So far, no dice.

He had sent his team in two groups of two, the first group to circle the building, seeing if they could find something to help. Some way for the teams to breach or for them to send in “the chicken” with a camera without risking the hostages. This last round was Yai and Tharn, much to Phaya’s dismay, but Phaya charged into situations head first thoughts later, so Akk was keeping him right at his side. Phaya spun the maps again, as if looking at them upside down would cause inspiration. At least Tharn and Yai were level-headed so he could count on them returning with information. The other team was Khem and Thongthai to liaise with the other teams. Akk’s ‘no couples in the field’ rule blew up about a month ago. He was still working through a set of rules for his couples within his team.

Rustling in the bushes caused everyone to grip their guns a little tighter. Yai walked into the small clearing, shaking his head. “Sorry sir, the building is locked up tight.” 

Everyone relaxed as one. This is what Akk liked to see, the team moving unconsciously as a connected unit.

Speaking of team, they were one member short. Akk frowned and looked around. “Where’s Tharn?” They weren’t supposed to leave their teammates.

“Tharn? Sir? He’s not back?” Yai's voice pitched up into high registers. He scratched right behind his ear and refused to look at Akk. Not for the first time, Akk was thankful that nearly everyone on his team was terrible at lying. The only one who came close to pulling it off was Singh, and that was because the man knew how to subtle.

“You were supposed to stay together at all times, so did you disobey an order?” Akk was pissed, searching the perimeter was child’s play. How had they screwed it up already?

Yai cleared his throat. “No, of course not. He’s right behind me?” Yai turned and started heading back into the brush.

“Get back here, Yai.” Akk waited for the man to turn. Oh, Yai was avoiding looking at Phaya now, which was a terrible sign. “Was that a question or a statement?” Akk crossed his arms and stared at Yai.

Yai’s phone buzzed. Then again. Then it sounded like an angry hornet as text after text came through. Yai nearly dropped it as he fumbled to thumb on the screen. “Well, good news, sir. We have some photos and videos of the location of the hostages. That’s some good luck, huh?” Yai held out his phone that indeed showed a video slowly panning a room with exits and windows visible. The hostages were all huddled together on the floor.

“Where did you get that?” Singh walked over and plucked the device out of Yai’s hand. “They cut the camera hard line.”

“About that…” Yai trailed off.

“Where. Is. Tharn?” Akk asked one more time, because he was now sure he knew the answer.

Please, don’t let it be true.

“In the building.” Yai whispered.

“What the fuck?” Phaya exploded and Thongthai caught his arm before he could go running in blind.

“Phaya stand down.” Akk waited until Phaya stopped struggling against Thongthai’s hold. “Yai start talking.”

“Tharn is in the building right now and sending back videos we need.” Yai stated confidently, although he was looking everywhere but at Akk while slowly edging away from Phaya. It was like the man couldn’t decide who he feared more: Akk or Phaya.

“Is this a vision thing?” Akk pinched the bridge of his nose because he thought they had covered the rules for Tharn’s visions and this was out of bounds.

“No, not a vision.” Yai answered.

“So then explain to me how he got into the building alone?”

Yai was fidgeting. “Well, see on the blueprints there is a vent that is just big enough for Tharn to slip in.” Yai pointed to the vent that was way too high in the air for any of them to reach alone and too small for everyone but Tharn to crawl through. Akk sighed, he should have known, it was a perfect pocket sized detective bolt hole and Tharn has been finding more than most lately. “So I had him stand on my shoulder so he could get into the ductwork.” Yai nodded and smiled like he had solved the problem single-handedly.

“Did you just say that you helped Tharn crawl into a ventilation system without permission, left him alone in the building, then failed to report that one of our teammates was in danger?” Akk was going to have a heart attack before he reached 50 because of the man that he thought of as a little brother. “You failed to report that your own brother was in a building full of people with loaded guns?”

A part of him would always be regretful that he didn’t take Tharn’s father up on his offer. After Tharn’s dad passed away, he believed Tharn would choose to stay with family and have the support of loved ones, unlike Akk, who was alone. But when Akk was finally a cop, he looked up Tharn and found out that the younger boy had been alone. He had gone to live at the temple. At that time there was nothing Akk could do, so he focused on putting Montree behind bars. When Tharn had entered IDF, Akk had quickly moved into a position where he could keep Tharn safe.

When it was finally over, they caught Montree and obtained the names of the corrupt IDF officers. Just when Akk had been ready to let down his guard, the psychologist who Akk had opened the fucking door for kidnapped Tharn. Akk had been torn between grieving a relationship he had finally been able to foster and not wanting to step on the man who was actually Tharn’s older brother, Yai. Instead, Akk watched as his team had buckled at the seams, mostly functional but never the same, while struggling to figure out how to help them deal with their grief.

Then Tharn had miraculously reappeared with a story full of glaring holes, but his return had brought Phaya back to life. Akk was still trying to piece together Tharn’s secrets because there were more than just visions and he was 98% sure that whatever the secret, it involved Phaya.

Although if Phaya and Tharn didn’t figure themselves out soon, Akk was going to lock them in the small files storage until they stopped dancing around one another. Tharn had found Phaya’s hidden engagement ring and ran to Akk, asking why Phaya was hesitating. Akk was being thrown into this big brother role faster than he could paddle.

“He’s small. No one will notice him.” Yai said.

“He’s pocket sized, not invisible.” Thongthai answered.

Khem raised his hands. “I can second that assessment.”

Phaya snatched the phone and started marking what Tharn had sent on the blueprints. “Let’s get going and get his ass out of there now.” Phaya ordered.

Ten minutes later and the team, along with another IDF group, were escorting the hostages out and had the kidnappers in cuffs. Akk had to credit Tharn, because his pictures and videos made the difference between sitting on the sidelines twiddling their thumbs and being able to safely breach the building.

Speaking of Tharn, a pair of standard issue boots emerged from a small ventilation shaft near the ceiling, followed by black cargo pants until he could bend at the waist. Tharn’s boots scrambled for purchase on the wall as he began a slow, uncontrolled slide down, with his upper body still in the ventilation system. Akk stifled a laugh. Tharn apparently didn’t really think through his exit strategy. Phaya jogged over, his hands circling Tharn’s tiny waist as he slowly guided his partner back to earth. 

Then Akk got a look at the square vent opening.

How the hell had Tharn fit into that tiny space?

Back on his own two feet, Phaya immediately engulfed Tharn. “I’m fine, Phaya.” Tharn whispered and rubbed the other man’s back. Akk let them have their moment because he also needed a minute just to breathe. Having one of his officers inside the building with them blind had been nerve-wracking.

The fact that the officer in question had been one who just spent a year as a captive of his psychologist was worse.

“What were you thinking? Huh?” Phaya whispered yelled.

“That I could help the hostages.” Tharn answered. “You would have done the same if you fit.”

“I thought we agreed we stick together. We agreed to stick together and share our harebrained plans beforehand, so we don’t get blindsided.” Phaya shook Tharn’s shoulders a little as he was speaking.

Akk sighed. So his hotheaded detective Phaya and his slightly reckless detective Tharn were now apparently telling each other before their complete acts of stupidity, but not warning Akk?

“It was Yai’s idea.” Tharn said into Phaya’s shoulder.

“Nope, little brother. I am not taking the blame for this one.” Yai slapped Tharn’s back.

Tharn turned to face Yai, but remained in Phaya’s arms. “What are you talking about? You pointed to the vent on the blueprints and raised your eyebrows twice before we went on our walk.”

“My pointing was not accompanied by the words, ‘hey Tharn, you should crawl into a vent.’” Yai defended himself.

“I knew what you meant by the point and the eyebrow waggle.” Tharn pointed his finger in the air, while making a face mimicking Yai.

“This is like the bar incident all over again where you blamed me for you getting drunk. I didn’t make you drink all that liquor.” Yai pointed his own finger at Tharn.

“No, you just asked invasive questions to which you knew I wouldn’t answer, hence forcing me to drink.” Tharn shoved Yai’s shoulder.

“The point wasn’t to get you drunk, Tharn.” Khem piped up, earning a glare from Tharn. “The point of the game was for you to answer the questions so you and Phaya would finally do the hori….” 

“Boys!” Thongthai injected before Akk could, “I think we are all just glad that Tharn is fine after today’s escapade.”

When Phaya finally let go of Tharn, each team member made sure their smallest detective was okay until Tharn was standing in front of Akk. “I’m sorry, sir. I saw an opportunity and, well, I knew you would be concerned.”

“But you did it, anyway. While what you did today saved lives, you put your own in danger. You were in a building, alone, with no backup and multiple men with guns. You could have died and placed the hostages at risk if something had gone wrong. We would have had no way to get to you in time, Tharn.”

There was the truth: Akk feared losing Tharn again. 

“Yes, sir.” Tharn stared straight ahead, spine ramrod straight. Akk had no qualms that Tharn would make the same decision again if it saved lives.

Akk pointed at Tharn. “That being said, everything worked out, but do not do this again.” At the end of the day, Akk knew Tharn would do whatever it took to save lives.

Tharn attempted to hide his shock but a disbelieving, “thank you, sir,” gave him away.

Phaya came over and wrapped an arm around the smaller man’s shoulders, leading him toward the exit. Akk had one last word to get in, though. “Oh, and Tharn?” He waited until Tharn and Phaya turned. “Report to the infirmary for a health check before returning to work.”

Tharn’s long suffering groan was music to Akk’s ears.

Chapter Text

Phaya walked toward the rocky beach, he had been trapped at a food truck with an overeager “witness” who had witnessed nothing of substance. Just a busybody with a tiny notebook and even tinier handwriting who insisted that Phaya jot down every single one of the man’s observations. Tharn and Yai had slunk away during the first five minutes, leaving Phaya to extricate himself from the situation. After twenty minutes, he finally started making his way towards the beach to assist in the search for clues, despite not expecting to find anything since the crime scene had long since been released. Stepping over a sand embankment, he noticed a gathering of people looking up at a tall rocky outcropping that jutted into the ocean. Jogging over, he approached someone, hoping that he wouldn’t get caught in yet another long-winded story.

He held up his badge to a young woman with a toddler on her hip. “I am an officer. What is going on here?”

“A young boy fell down some sort of hole in the rocks and is stuck in the cave.” She pointed up to where another young woman was pacing and crying, looking down at the rocks.

“Thank you.” Phaya waved a thanks, jogged to the cliff, and climbed up the rocks.

Showing his badge again, he caught the distraught woman’s attention. “Ma’am, can you please explain what happened?”

She looked up, startled, first looking at his badge, then at him. “My son fell down the small separation in the rocks.” She pointed toward a small circular shaft that ended in complete darkness. It was the perfect size for a child to slip down if they hadn’t been paying attention.

“Have you called anyone?” He asked as he guided her away from the hole.

“The other officers said they would take care of that?” She looked around.

“Other officers?” Phaya had a bad feeling.

Just then, a blur dove belly first onto the ground with his head centered over the hole. “Tharn?” Yai yelled into the darkness.

“Wait, Tharn’s down there?” Phaya stepped up beside Yai and looked down into nothing. No Tharn. Yai was mistaken because surely Bolster wouldn’t fit down the small space. “How did he fit?”

“Well, if he lifts his hands over his head and crosses his legs, he can make himself pretty tiny,” Yai commented as he thrust a flashlight at Phaya. “Here, make yourself useful and shine this down the pitch black hole.”

“You let him drop himself into a cave?” Phaya fumbled the flashlight before shining it down the makeshift cave opening. The cave was further down than he thought. It was a long vertical drop with nothing to help break Tharn’s landing.

Please let this be a hallucination. Or better yet, Yai’s version of a practical joke.

“I didn’t let him do anything. Seriously, everyone seems to think that I have some sort of magical power to influence Tharn’s behavior. You are his boyfriend, can you stop him from helping people?” Yai turned back to the hole. “Tharn, dammit.” Yai screamed this time.

“P’Yai?” A voice echoed softly.

“Tharn?” Phaya choked out because yeah, his boyfriend really was stuck in some sort of rock formation, with no obvious way of getting him back out. This was Phaya’s worst nightmare. Tharn was in a cave and there was water surrounding them on all but one side. This was exactly how Phaya lost Tharn the first time, when the Naga (who shall never be called by his name again) kidnapped him.

“Phaya?” Tharn’s voice strengthened. “I need the med supplies from P’Yai and the radio since my cellphone broke on the way down?”

“You ready to catch?” Yai asked as he held the radio over the hole.

“Drop them.” And even with the flashlight, they couldn’t see Tharn, only his voice an indication of where he was in the darkness. 

“Here goes nothing,” Yai whispered, then louder for Tharn. “Radio dropped.” He let go. The radio dropped straight down the shaft without banging off any of the rock walls.

“Caught it.” Came through the radio at Yai’s hip. “Send the rest down.”

Phaya snatched the radio. He would be Tharn’s lifeline, thank you very much. “Stick incoming.” He said right as Yai dropped it. One by one, they dropped supplies until Tharn had half their med kit in the cave with him. It was all Phaya could do to focus on the task at hand.

“Thanks guys, what is the estimate on search and rescue?” Tharn’s voice cracked through the older radio.

“It will be a good half hour before they get here.” P’Yai replied, using Phaya’s thumb to depress the button, but he made no moves to take back the radio.

“The little one is stable for now, but sooner rather than later would be better.” Tharn sounded calm, so Phaya attempted to take a deep breath, but the air just shuttered in his chest. Yai thumped his hand down on Phaya’s shoulder and gripped it tight. Tharn’s voice carried through the speaker once again. “I am going to administer first aid. His leg is definitely broken.”

“Will relay to the team.” Phaya answered. “Keep us updated.” Because seriously, Tharn being out of sight was messing with Phaya’s head. He was having flashbacks of the year Tharn spent trapped in a different realm. Phaya diving into the river, unable to see through the murky depths while desperately searching the darkness. 

Darkness similar to what engulfed Tharn now.

Phaya was going to have nightmares regularly for weeks again. Just when they were becoming a less frequent occurrence.

“Will do. Over.” Tharn answered, then silence reigned. Phaya could hear his heart attempting to beat out of his chest. He shook his head hard. This was no time to fall apart or panic. He was on duty, and Tharn needed him to keep his head. He was Tharn’s lifeline.

“Maybe someone should have asked my brother to marry him.” Yai commented snidely.

“Not now P’Yai.” Phaya answered, but yeah, Yai was right. Months ago, Phaya had dragged Sand and Yai out ring shopping, which had been a nightmare to schedule since Tharn was usually with one of them or Phaya. Akk had actually stepped up to take Tharn out to dinner with a “Thank God you finally got your head out of your ass” towards Phaya.

But then Phaya worried he was moving too fast and Tharn would pull away. So he had hid the ring in his sock drawer and continued on as normal, dodging the knowing looks of literally the entire team that was in the know.

Phaya hated gossip.

Somehow Tharn hadn’t figured it out, but that was thanks to Thongthai’s quick reflexes in covering Khem’s big mouth and Sand’s threats of withholding Yai’s favorite fish sauce.

“He will say yes if that is what you're worried about.” Yai spoke up again, this time his tone was softer. “He puts up a tough exterior, but he really wants to marry you.”

“This is so not the time.” Phaya said out of the corner of his mouth as the Mom stared at them.

Phaya sat at the mouth of the fissure and stared down at the dark, where the love of his life was currently trying to save a child. Yai fidgeted next to him, in constant contact with the rest of their team, as well as search and rescue. Another couple of officers were handling the distraught mother. Phaya couldn’t handle dealing with anyone else. His focus was solely on Tharn and the radio that connected them.

Static burst through the radio. Phaya lifted it towards his ear, waiting. “Phaya?” Tharn asked tentatively. Phaya’s relief at hearing Tharn’s voice again was palpable.

Phaya swallowed his worry. “I’m here Tharn. What do you need?”

“Can someone check the tide chart?” The radio crackled.

Phaya looked questionably at Yai, who already had his phone out and was reading intently. “Fuck.” He whispered. Yai grabbed the radio over top Phaya’s hand, both of them holding the lifeline together. “Talk to me Tharn. What’s happening?”

“The cave is filling with water.” Tharn answered softly.

Phaya’s heart stopped. “How fast?” He choked out.

“Fast.” Tharn responded succinctly.

“Is there a way out other than how you two fell in?” Phaya prayed to the universe because he could not, would not, lose his love to water again.

“No, I looked everywhere and could not locate another exit. I can’t reach the opening either until this space is almost completely filled with water.” Tharn’s voice was haunted.

Yai stepped away, holding the phone up to his ear.

 Sirens filled the air. Phaya pressed his forehead to the radio in relief. Search and rescue just arrived. “Help is here Tharn, just hang on.”

“Phaya, the water is rising really rapidly.” Tharn sounded afraid. The last time Tharn had sounded this scared was when he begged Phaya to be careful on the bank of a river.

“I will let them know.” Phaya bit his knuckles to keep his emotions in check.

“I love you, Phaya.” Tharn said softly.

Oh, this is bad if Tharn is breaking their no relationship talk during work situations over the radio where anyone on the channel could hear.

“Love you too, Tharn,” Phaya answered, then search and rescue personnel ushered him away, with one of them taking the radio while Phaya was led down to the beach with Yai. 

“Well, this sucks.” Yai stated as he stood on the sand looking up at all the authorities setting up equipment, who were now coordinating with Tharn. Phaya wanted to go grab a radio. He wanted to know what was going on, but he also didn’t want to delay anything, either. He was an investigator, not a rescuer. But it was his boyfriend who had dropped into the cave, his boyfriend stuck with no way out and rising water.

“Here.” A radio appeared in between Yai and Phaya. Yai reacted faster, taking it and shoving it into Phaya’s hand. Phaya looked behind and there stood the rest of the team. Akk was the one who had the extra radio ready. He looked at Phaya, knowing eyes catching his gaze while patting Phaya’s shoulder. “He’s a strong one.”

“Thank you, sir.” Phaya nodded and waited with bated breath until Tharn’s voice came through the small black box.

“I’m treading water. I can get him to the entrance if you send down a line, but we don’t have a lot of time.” Tharn sounded out of breath already.

“The line is coming down now. You need to secure it around the child, as we instructed earlier.” An unknown voice answered. “Once he is clear, we will send a line for you.”

“Copy.” Tharn replied, then silence for what seemed like hours. Everyone was staring up at the rocks, waiting. “Child secured, get him out now,” Tharn yelled into the radio.

The team watched as the line spooled until a little boy screamed while rescuers lifted him out of the cave. Applause erupted all around Phaya, everyone celebrating the child being saved. The rescuers attempted to unhook the child who was thrashing, trying to get to his mom.

“Just cut the damn rope and send down the second rigging now.” Akk whispered behind Phaya. “What the fuck are you waiting for?”

Only after an officer brought the Mom onto the rocks did the boy calm down enough to remove the harness. Akk shifted his weight impatiently behind Phaya.

“Okay, Tharn your turn.” A deep voice called through the radio, but only static answered.

“Tharn?” The man tried again, but nothing.

“Tharn? Please answer?” Phaya begged into his radio, voice breaking. “Please, not again.”

“The cave is completely filled with water.” Someone else’s voice came over the line. “Can anyone see him?”

A chorus of nos.

“Little rascal brother, please.” Yai begged into the radio this time.

Phaya did not know who was talking at this point or what was being said, only that none of the voices were his Bolster. The rocks and beach were a flurry of activity, but if Tharn was underwater, how could anyone reach him? 

Phaya’s knees gave out as he sunk to the sand. He could hear the team calling his name, hear Yai screaming at the rescuers to send someone down there now, but Phaya couldn’t breathe. Believing they were finally free, he thought they had all the time in the world to be together. He wasn’t ready to wait until their next life. He needed more time in this one.

After their year apart, waking up to Tharn every morning still felt like a fever dream. Phaya sometimes awoke in the middle of the night fearing that when he opened his eyes, there would be nothing but a puddle of water in the bed next to him. The only remedy was gathering Tharn in his arms and snuggling into his Bolster’s warmth.

Would Phaya ever get to feel Tharn’s warmth again?

“Holy fuck!” Khem yelled and physically grabbed Phaya’s head, wrenching it towards the ocean. Phaya saw nothing but an empty blue expanse.

“What did you see, Khem?” Yai asked.

“Wait for it.” Khem said. “I swore I saw…” His voice trailed off in doubt.

As one, the entire team fixated their gaze on the ocean, their breath caught in hope.

Then Tharn broke the ocean surface, gulping air. He was working his way toward the beach, struggling to stand, falling back in the water on all fours, desperately coughing, but very much alive.

“Tharn!” Phaya was in motion, his legs pumping through the surf until he scooped Tharn up into his arms. “I got you.” He said as he buried his face in Bolster’s warm neck, basking in his love that had returned to him once again. “How did you get out of the cave?”

“Reincarnated Naga,” Tharn whispered softly as he tried to return the hug. “I’m… so…” Phaya gripped Tharn harder as violent coughs wracked through his whole body. “…sorry Phaya.” Bolster was gasping for breath.

Phaya turned and started running for the medical personnel who were already prepping for Tharn. “You came back to me, that’s all that matters.” Phaya kissed Tharn’s temple as he placed him on the gurney.

Phaya quickly touched his forehead to Tharn’s. “I love you, Tharn.”

“I love you too,” Tharn whispered, then passed out. People surrounded Tharn, but Phaya gripped the man’s hand harder. He would never let go again.

“Go with him, Phaya.” Akk tapped Phaya’s shoulder. “We will meet you at the hospital. You won’t be alone.”

“Thank you, sir,” Phaya said, while still holding Tharn’s hand as they dragged him into the ambulance.

The next few hours were a blur. Phaya registered that Akk was the last person he saw climbing into the ambulance and the first person he saw climbing back out. How his superior officer had managed that Phaya didn’t want to know. Akk literally had to pull Phaya back when the doctors took Tharn. The time in the waiting room was a collection of visitors, but Akk was a constant solid presence at his side. It was Akk along with Yai beside Phaya when they finally got to go see Tharn, who, along with countless scrapes and bruises, had also broken his ankle during his ill thought out descent into the cave, aka just jumping in. His Bolster gave a weak smile, a soft “I’m sorry,” and of course another “I love you” before dreamland claimed him once again. 

Yai had left to retrieve Sand for a visit a couple of minutes ago. So it was just Phaya holding Tharn’s hand while watching his Bolster’s chest rise and fall slowly. He would never take their time together for granted ever again. Apparently surviving the wrath of a vengeful Naga was not a cosmic guarantee for a long, happy life.

The door opened and shut. Phaya startled, but then recalled that Akk had gone for coffee. Phaya returned his focus to Tharn’s slow, even breaths. Something soft bounced in his lap. Looking down, he lifted a silicone wedding ring in a soft gray color. “Sir?”

“They had them in the gift shop.” Akk nodded to Tharn’s left hand in Phaya’s. “Go ahead. Think of it like a placeholder until you can get the real one on his finger when you two head home.”

Phaya shook his head. “I haven’t asked yet.”

Akk rolled his eyes. “All Tharn wants in life is a family that he can openly love and be happy with, which, if you would stop being so scared, is you. Let him wake up knowing just how glad you are that he survived.”

Phaya still hesitated. He needed a verbal yes before putting a ring on Tharn’s finger.

“Phaya, I helped him buy you a ring last week because he was tired of waiting. He accidentally found the ring you purchased almost a month ago. He was planning on asking you this weekend. I promise you are not presuming anything by putting a ring on his finger. You are his choice just as much as he is yours.”

Phaya looked over at Akk, who tilted his head to Tharn’s left hand. Phaya carefully slid the ring onto Tharn’s finger. Lightly kissing it once it was in place. He had a beautifully crafted ring at home with detailed engraving that he himself had designed, but the simple squishy band brought joy to Phaya. A physical representation of their love, commitment, and sacrifice across lifetimes. 

Akk cleared his throat, bringing Phaya out of his blissful bubble. “I am thinking of having hula hoops as required equipment in all the team SUVs.” Akk said as he sipped his coffee.

“What?” Phaya looked over at the man sitting on Tharn’s other side.

“Tharn is forbidden from climbing into any hole, passageway, space, or vent smaller than the diameter of a hula hoop. I swear I thought things would be easier after he returned, but instead the man is giving me premature gray hair.” Akk swiped a hand through his closely cropped hair.

“Gray hair just makes you look more distinguished.” Phaya laughed for the first time since he figured out where his pocket sized detective had gone this morning. “Thank you, sir, for your support today.”

Akk nodded gently. “I really wish I had accepted the offer to be Tharn’s brother all those years ago.”

“Your his brother now and that is all that matters,” Phaya answered.

Akk gave a tight smile. “Close your eyes, Phaya. Rest for a while because your fiancée is going to need you at your best when he wakes up. I will watch over Tharn.” Akk was way too observant.

Phaya settled into his chair, leaning his head on his arm near Tharn’s hip, letting his other hand rest over his fiancée’s still beating heart as sleep claimed him.

Chapter Text

Creepy didn’t even begin to describe the house the IDF team was currently tiptoeing through. They were being extra cautious in this real life murder mystery. Authorities had traced five victims to this location before their untimely deaths. The witnesses and friends of the victim had been tight-lipped at first until additional evidence had come to light and the witnesses confessed under antagonistic interviews.

Apparently, this business specialized in a murder mystery night. Groups rent out the entire place for the night. Everything was supposed to be staged and the clues to a mystery hidden throughout the entire mansion. According to their reluctant witnesses, the activity turned a little too real. The individuals were threatened to remain silent until Singh used his computer skills and uncovered their connection.

And now the team was supposed to be gathering evidence to figure out exactly what had happened in this creepy, dark, dusty, and isolated mansion. Instead of illuminating, the “lights” in the rooms created more shadows. The rooms were decorated meticulously, resembling something out of a twenties mystery thriller. The furniture was vintage but high end, he should know after furniture shopping with Sand enough. Suspended like a thick haze, dust moots filled the air, making it oppressive and humid.

Maybe Yai should stop watching horror movies, his career was beginning to resemble one.

He was a little behind the rest of the group, movement having caught his eye in the previous living room, only to realize it was just a mouse. Luckily he had swallowed the shriek before it made an audible sound, Tharn would never have let Yai hear the end of that. He double timed it to the library where the rest of the team was currently searching. Akk’s directions were to stay in one large group because of all the possible traps and hidden locations that could prove problematic. The people who had reluctantly given their accounts reported being involuntarily separated. Safety in numbers. Yai walked through the double doors, clocking all his teammates in the low light.

Except. One.

The most problematic of them all.

His rascal brother was missing.

Yai’s eyes scanned the library. Not seeing Tharn at shoulder height only meant one thing. Yai started walking around the room, looking toward the floor. There, at the bottom corner of a bookcase, a black boot disappeared into the wall. Yai ran across the room and dived onto the floor, hoping that the wall was not really a wall or he was about to face plant into plaster. His hand, followed by his arm, disappeared through the solid material, well, apparently it was just fabric down at the baseboards. It was extremely convincing. How had Tharn spotted this?

“Yai?” Akk and the rest of the team circled him. “You alright?”

“One minute sir.” Yai swatted around, moving his body further into the tiny space until his shoulder connected with the edge of the actual wall, preventing him from going further. His hand finally found what he was looking for: soft, worn leather. Grasping Tharn’s slim boot covered ankle, he started pulling. His rascal brother bucked a little, but Tharn wouldn’t risk hurting Yai, so any protest was half-assed at best.

“You have to be kidding me.” Akk said as Yai pulled Tharn’s boot out of the wall. As soon as Tharn’s other leg popped out, Yai grabbed that ankle too and yanked a sputtering Tharn the rest of the way out of the bolt hole that his rascal brother had crawled into. 

Khem was dying laughing behind Yai.

“You can stop now.” Tharn said as Yai continued to drag him toward the center of the room, or at least far enough away from the wall that Tharn couldn’t disappear back into it. In his peripheral vision, he saw Thongthai step in front of the fake wall. When Yai finally let go, Tharn popped up onto his feet and faced Yai. “What the fuck?”

Yai stepped into Tharn’s space. When they were younger, sometimes the only way to stop Tharn’s reckless nature was to physically get in his way. “Not this time, rascal brother. In here you don’t go crawling into any space that at least two other team members can’t also fit with you.”

“We need to find evidence.” Tharn threw an arm toward the wall that wasn’t a wall but now resembled the wall perfectly. Seriously, Yai could not figure out how Tharn spotted that false spot.

“Not at the risk of you life,” Akk answered exasperatedly. “Your instructions were to not disappear into tiny pocket sized places this time, Tharn.”

Tharn’s mouth shut with an audible click. At least he was cautious about mouthing off to his superior. Still, while they stayed in this building that appeared to be designed specifically to lose Tharn, the rest of the team would need to be super vigilant about their pocket-sized detective. The last time Yai hadn’t stopped Tharn, he had thought he had lost his brother permanently. Yai would never forget watching Phaya fall apart on that beach all over again. Yai would never forget the sinking feeling that he had, once again, let his brother race into danger without the ability to follow. 

He loved Tharn, the only person he loved more was Sand, but his rascal brother was still trying to figure himself out in the wake of Chalothorn. Tharn had somehow tied his being back in this world to his ability to save others. Eventually, Tharn would realize that he deserved happiness on his own terms, and he was moving in that direction since he woke up to a silicone ring on his finger, courtesy of Phaya. The two had officially exchanged their chosen bands once they were home. Now Sand and Khem were conspiring to plan a wedding for a reincarnated Naga and Garuda.

Yai wanted Tharn to realize he was not obligated to help others by sacrificing himself in order to earn his life with Phaya. His existence was enough, and he deserved to write his own story.

Yai wanted to walk Tharn down the aisle and hand his rascal brother to Phaya to handle.

Phaya.

Yai smiled. “I have an idea.” He grabbed Tharn’s arm and yanked him toward Phaya, who had been silently staying out of this mess. The man’s face said it all, though, fear and frustration. This house was a nightmare for Phaya as well. Phaya wanted to say something, Yai could tell, but he and Tharn were still trying to figure out boundaries and behaviors being fiancées as well as work colleagues.

Akk was still trying to figure out how having two engages couple as partners on his team looked as well. Yai heard the man grumbling about an ulcer the other day.

Once Yai had Phaya and Tharn side by side, he whipped out his handcuffs and secured them together with a decisive double click. Damn, Yai was fast with the handcuffs now, maybe he should show Sand his new prowess. Bringing his attention back to keeping his wily brother alive in a literal nightmare of a house, he pointed at Tharn’s nose. “Now, you can’t get into any space where your overly tall fiancée also doesn’t fit.” And it would greatly benefit Yai’s mental and heart health having his pocket sized little brother attached to someone who was the exact opposite of pocket sized.

“P’Yai!” Tharn yelled as he yanked his handcuffed arm and moved Phaya’s in the process. “This is not the time for your games. Undo the cuffs now.” His face was turning a deep shade of red that had nothing to do with anger.

Yai coughed. He didn’t actually need to know that about his brother.

“I think it’s a good idea.” Phaya spoke up, shrugging at being handcuffed to his fiancée in a room full of his colleagues. Phaya had already had enough of Tharn’s jump first think later approach lately.

“Phaya, seriously?” Tharn turned his ire on Phaya before starting to try to find his own handcuff key.

“Unlock that handcuff and I will attach you to the SUV next.” Akk crossed his arms and stared at Tharn.

“Sir?” Tharn froze in place, looking at his boss with wide eyes. Yai had to admit he was a little shocked, too. He figured Akk would be on his case for horsing around.

Akk sighed. “I think it’s a good idea in this building if you are attached to someone so we don’t lose you in this house of horrors. Just while we are in this building, you remain handcuffed to Phaya. That is an order.” Akk turned and passed Yai, which is how he heard the older man whisper under his breath, “Maybe that will keep you from giving me a heart attack today in this creepy ass house.”

“Sir, I think I should be handcuffed to my Baby.” Khem voiced.

“Khem, stop playing around.” Akk instructed as Thongthai slapped the back of his fiancee’s head.

Yai looked over at Tharn, who was now looking up at Phaya. There was open love and affection in that look, exactly what Yai had always hoped for Tharn. Phaya laced their fingers together and squeezed. “It would make me feel better in this building if you stayed at my side.” Phaya’s voice was soft but also strong. A perfect balance for dealing with Tharn who sometimes liked to buck authority. “I need you beside me always.”

Tharn’s voice sounded annoyed as he said, “Okay, Phaya, I’ll do whatever you need,” but he stopped protesting and leaned into Phaya instead. 

Phaya looked over at Yai and gave a quick nod. Yai mouthed, “thank you,” to his new brother who had brought Tharn back to life.

“Question, how did you see that false wall?” Singh asked, inspecting the flimsy fabric that somehow looked realistic when left to hang by itself.

“I figured there were hidden passageways, so I started kicking the walls around the baseboards, listening for any hollow sounds when my foot went through the wall.” Tharn answered as he moved with Phaya, who was looking suspiciously at another bookcase.

“And your first thought was to just crawl into the creepy hole in the wall without letting the rest of us know?” Khem asked as he pulled out his own handcuffs and attempted to sneakily place one side around Thongthai’s wrist, only for his smarter half to swat him away without even looking.

“Okay, okay.” Tharn answered. “Maybe it wasn’t the best idea.”

“You think, Bolster?” Phaya commented, only to take a soft punch to his solar plexus from his partner.

“Sir, should I go get the hula hoop out of the SUV, just in case?” Singh piped up.

“Maybe we should make the hula hoop into some sort of belt for Tharn to wear anytime he is in the field.” Akk added, much to everyone’s surprise.

“Seriously, sir, I thought you were on my side!” Tharn rubbed his forehead as the rest of the team continued on teasing him. 

Yai thought back to when it was just him and Sand holding desperately onto a Tharn who just kept withdrawing from life. Even with Chalothorn’s therapy, it never felt like enough. Tharn never smiled, his laugh was always cut short, and he pushed love away with both hands. Yai was scared that once Tharn got justice for his parents, he would disconnect emotionally from the world. Now, Tharn was surrounded by friends, a second older brother, and a newly forming family. 

Tharn had discovered love and embraced being loved in return. 

They had taken the rough road to get here, but Yai was thankful every single day that he and Tharn had jumped on that bus to IDF training all those years ago.

Chapter Text

Tharn ran at full speed, ignoring the whistle of the bullets whizzing past him as he took a shortcut straight through the heaviest part of the firefight. He had been with Phaya at the start of this operation; they had worked their way through the industrial building together and ended up on the edge of the main fight when Tharn had been waylaid by an inconveniently timed vision and Phaya had taken off chasing the leader of the smuggling ring.

Of course the vision was of Phaya getting shot.

Then the fire alarms went off. Word through the comms was there had been a minor explosion and nothing was currently on fire, but it triggered the fire doors to start automatically closing. Tharn, with his fiancée alone chasing a suspect with bullets flying, headed back through the main fight, much to Akk’s consternation. He hoped that if he had also been shot, he would have seen that too.

Luck was on his side as he booked it down the hallway, finally out of the line of fire just in time to see the suspect, followed closely by Phaya, heading down the hallway to his right. Tharn hit the wall to turn quickly and sprinted, but Phaya’s long legs were eating up the distance and ahead of all three of them was an automatic closing door, slowly lowering. The suspect cleared it by barely ducking. Phaya slid under as the alarm sounded its imminent closing.

Tharn smashed into the door, bounced off, and landed on his ass.

“Fuck!” Tharn threw himself at the door, while smashing his fist against the red metal. “Phaya?”

Silence.

Activating his comm, he tried again, “Phaya, the door cut me off.”

Static ignited, followed by Phaya’s strained voice, “copy, still in pursuit.” Tharn waited, but his fiancée decided not to provide any additional descriptive information.

“You have no backup. Hunker down, I am coming to you,” Tharn instructed.

“No can do, Tharn. Still pursuing suspect.” Phaya answered curtly.

“No, no, no.” Tharn punctuated his fear by pounding his fist until pain exploded through his hand. He had to make it through this damn door before Phaya suffered any injuries, or worse. Luckily, his brain finally fired up. He activated his comm, calling for the one person who could help. “Singh, how do I hot wire this door to open?”

An exasperated sigh came over the line, the sound Singh made when the team was being tech dumb. “It’s not a car.”

“I saw Phaya get shot in a vision. You need to get me through this fucking door now.” Tharn didn’t care who heard him at this point. He didn’t spend a year hitting his head against a brick wall trying to convince an egotistical Chalothorn to leave them be just to lose Phaya now. Choosing to leave Phaya and go with Chalothorn would haunt Tharn for the rest of his life, but he didn’t know any other way to keep his evil jellyfish alive. He had left Phaya with only faint hope he could return, but he figured that Phaya would have everyone still in this realm. That Phaya would not be alone. He would have love and support. 

Tharn had been alone. Alone with a group of Nagas he no longer belonged with. Alone with a sister who was not really a sister. Alone with Chalothorn, who seemed to think Tharn should be thankful. All Tharn dreamed about for his lost year was being with Phaya, replaying every moment of their time together in his mind like a movie, thankful for every wonderful memory and wishing he had let them have more. While confined within the bounds of the Naga city, he spent so much time with absolutely nothing to do. There was no entertainment for a human, just fish and rain dances. The memories of Phaya were Tharn’s sanity, his safe place.

His sanctuary.

“Open line, Tharn.” Akk admonished, bringing Tharn back to the present, but there was only one voice Tharn needed to hear among the cacophony of the fight.

“Who saw me what?” Phaya sounded winded. That was a bad sign. When Phaya tired, his fighting became sloppy, and that was always when the bad guys had gotten the upper-hand. Phaya was explosive motion and quick attacks, but he lacked stamina to fight for long periods of time.

“Please be careful.” Tharn begged. “I’m coming for you.” He could hear the despair in his own voice.

Phaya didn’t respond. 

Tharn pinched the bridge of his nose, then stared at the door trying to decide if pure adrenaline was enough for him to break through the thick metal plates. He didn’t enjoy being on this side of the situation, being the one left waiting and hoping while the other half of his heart and soul was in danger. Who knew how many other men were hiding in that sector and right now Tharn found himself trapped outside with no way in. 

This would not be the end of their story together. Phaya had placed a ring on Tharn’s finger with the promise that they would grow old together. That they would never be without one another ever again. Tharn wanted to marry his evil jellyfish.

He wanted to raise little ones together, give them the love, safety, and family he was so desperate for growing up. He just had been too afraid to say the words out loud.

He was saving Phaya.

Tharn was just about to slam his shoulder into the door a third time when Singh cleared his throat. “Okay, Tharn, you need to head to the fire control panel on the first floor, west side.” 

“That’s the opposite direction.” Tharn replied, but his body was already in motion. He would run all the way to Nong Khai and back if it saved Phaya.

“If you want through that door, then we need to hot wire at the source.” Singh answered with the sounds of clacking keys in the background. “Everyone else is busy, so it is up to you.” Exasperation colored Singh’s tone, Akk had ordered the tech expert to stay out of the battle, providing electronic support and coordination. Singh did not agree, but he followed the orders impeccably.

Tharn jumped down nearly an entire flight of stairs, rolled to lessen the impact, then sprinted down the corridor, a couple more turns, then finally sliding to a stop in front of the fire panel. 

“Move,” Yai shoved Tharn to the side.

“P’Yai?” Tharn tried to elbow his older brother out of the way, but Yai was a brick wall.

“No offense, but you are not thinking clearly. I will play with live electricity and you keep me from getting shot.” Yai ordered, then asked for instructions from Singh. Tharn put his back against Yai and focused on the open space surrounding them. They were completely exposed. No one had found them yet, but that wouldn’t last long.

“Please, hurry.” Tharn whispered to himself, carefully not activating his comms. His heart was beating hard in his chest, his breath seemed to be caught in his throat and the image of Phaya falling down covered in blood was replaying in his mind on a loop. He continued to stop anyone who was trying to take advantage of their exposed position, but he was mentally calculating how fast he could get to Phaya when the doors opened. For the first time ever, he wished he had Garuda wings instead of a Naga water advantage.

Was this how Phaya felt every time Tharn had been in a dangerous situation lately? The fear that threatened to overwhelm reason, the pain of not being with him. Tharn had to apologize to Phaya because this was unbearable. The not knowing combined with not being able to help was torture.

A lightning bolt raced through his mind a second before another vision flashed in his sight. This time, Phaya was engaged in a fistfight when the suspect pulled a knife.

“Tharn!” Yai’s voice pulled Tharn out of the vision before he could see the ending, just in time for Than to defend against two more suspects, trying to take advantage of their positions.

Tharn bounced on the balls of his feet, ready to take off as soon as the word was given. He would fly through this damn place if he had to. Lack of wings be damned. “Phaya is going to get hurt. Hurry.”

“Almost there.” Yai responded, “cover me.”

“Understood.” Tharn concentrated on his task until, thankfully, Yai told Tharn to run.

Tharn sprinted.

He headed directly back through the main firefight with Akk, again, yelling the whole time, up the stairwell and down the hallway just in time to see the red door lift enough for Tharn to slide under.

Tharn took a deep breath. He could help now. “Phaya, I am inside sector three. Respond.”

“A little busy Bolster.” Phaya responded, out of breath, but the sounds of fist hitting flesh in the background were unmistakable. Tharn had to hurry.

“Shit. Which way?” Tharn peaked around the corner but he had nothing to go on. “Phaya, please?” But he only heard the voices of everyone except his love. Moving in a random direction to get his bearings, Tharn’s amulet warmed against his chest when he turned to the right. “Here goes nothing.” He took off in the direction. Another crossroads, right cold, left warm. Continuing to move quickly but cautiously, he let the temperature of his amulet guide him until he heard the unmistakable sound of Phaya’s grunt when he kicked something. Tharn bust around the shelving. “Stop!”

His appearance was enough of a distraction that the suspect faltered and Phaya took the man down with a decisive punch. “Ringleader caught.” Phaya spoke into his comm as he secured the suspect.

Once Phaya stood, Tharn plowed into the man’s chest, burying his face in Phaya’s neck. Taking a deep breath, he let the scent of cedar and jasmine and a smell that was all Phaya fill his nose. Phaya was alive, whole, and unharmed.

Tharn would keep him that way.

“I am okay, Tharn. Everything is okay.” Phaya pushed Tharn back and into work mode. Tharn looked around at their surroundings. Something was wrong. Phaya wasn’t injured in either vision in this location. Akk’s voice blasted through his earpiece, giving them instructions. “Tharn, Phaya, a team is on its way to you to secure the suspect. When they arrive, I need you to help Thongthai and Khem in the east corridor. They are pinned down.”

“Copy.” Tharn and Phaya responded in unison.

Soon enough, a unit arrived, and Tharn and Phaya took off to help their teammates. The sound of gunfire greeted them as they crouched down and slinked out of the stairwell. “Khem and Thongthai are behind those green crates. We need to move to the left to intercept.” Phaya whispered.

Tharn lifted his chin for Phaya to lead the way while he monitored their backs. He let Phaya guide them around to the left, coming back down when the surroundings registered.

“No.” Tharn whispered because this was the place. He hadn’t stopped Phaya from dying on the second floor. It was happening right now. He turned to grab Phaya, only to catch a handful of air.

“Phaya.” Tharn whisper yelled. How had Phaya disappeared so quickly? Had Tharn been that distracted?

Akk’s voice echoed in his mind, “your visions will guide you if you focus on what is around you instead of just fixating on what is in front of you.”

Tharn looked around and spotted the fire extinguisher that was positioned to Phaya’s right side in the visions. Moving around a set of crates, he was looking for a bright orange box with three bullet holes in the top left corner.

There.

That was behind Phaya when he was injured.

One more marker. Tharn closed his eyes for a second. There had been a green sign on Phaya’s left. Tharn squatted and worked his way around a shelving unit when gunshots suddenly rang out in the location he was headed. “Phaya!” Tharn gave up any pretense of hiding and, using his small stature, he slid under the shelving unit, immediately standing in the line of fire.

“Tharn!” Khem yelled.

Hoping that meant Khem could see him, Tharn ran around the last shelf where Phaya should be, only there was no one there.

A rapid series of bullets sounded in all directions. Someone hit Tharn hard and took him to the ground. “Stay down.” Phaya hissed in his ear as he shifted so that he covered Tharn’s entire body with his own.

No. No. No. This was not happening.

Tharn tried to shift, but Phaya was taller and weighed more. “Phaya?” Tharn was useless and a liability at this point. 

Shit.

“Ouch.” Phaya flinched hard. Tharn tried to move, tried to see if Phaya was okay. “Stop moving around, Bolster.”

Tharn went still. His sole focus was Phaya’s steady breathing against his cheek. Something warm and wet slid down Tharn’s shoulder. He carefully slid his hand up to check it, only to have his fingertips stained with blood. Tharn had fucked up royally, and Phaya had paid the price this time. He tried to move to glimpse the wound, but Phaya used his forearm, pushing down on Tharn’s back to pin him to the ground. “Stay still, Tharn.” Phaya snapped before softening his tone. “Please.”

After what seemed like another hour, Thongthai’s voice rang through the space, “clear.”

When had the gunfire stopped?

Tharn remained still until Phaya carefully stood. He popped up to his feet, carefully grasping Phaya’s forearm as he started searching for blood. “Just a graze Tharn. Stop worrying.” Phaya was trying to soothe Tharn. “Please take a deep breath sweetheart, you're hyperventilating.”

Tharn finally spotted the deep red gash across the top of Phaya’s shoulder. Grabbing the gauze squares in his vest, Tharn ripped apart the paper coverings and pressed the stark white bandage down hard to stop the bleeding. Phaya winced but held still, his eyes searching Tharn’s face carefully. 

The knot in Tharn’s chest was not easing. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” He could hear the words repeating over and over.

“Hey, hey, look at me.” Phaya gently tilted Tharn’s chin up with two fingers. The taller man dipped down to catch Tharn’s wild gaze. “What is going on, Tharn?”

“Is this how you felt every time I was out of pocket?” Tharn’s voice cracked. “Every time I came out of a situation bloody and injured?”

“If you mean absolutely terrified, then yes, that’s how I felt every time you snuck into yet another dangerous situation.” Phaya’s gaze softened.

“How did you stay so calm?” Tharn asked because he had been a mess today. His mistakes had consequences for Phaya.

Phaya took a deep breath. “I didn’t always, but I had the team to hold me back before I lept into dangerous situations without thought.”

“I apologize, Phaya, for acting impulsively and causing you harm today. It was my fault.” Tharn really owed Phaya for all the times he had gotten himself into crazy situations recently. Tharn pushed forward and buried his face in Phaya’s chest while still keeping pressure on the wound. All teams had given the all clear, and Khem and Thongthai were protecting them right now. “I promise to follow Akk’s hula hoop guideline from now on.”

“I would appreciate that, Bolster.” Phaya breathed a sigh of relief. “I love you unconditionally, Tharn. Even if you give me heart attacks by jumping into caves surrounded by water or into the middle of a gunfight without cover.”

“I love you always.” Tharn replied softly.

“Alright, I am so glad Tharn learned a lesson, but we all need to do our jobs now.” Akk’s voice sounded in Tharn’s ear. “Phaya report to medical.”

“Shit.” Tharn whispered.

Khem laughed. “That’s right Tharn, in your absolute panic you accidentally turned your comm completely on.”

Tharn winced. He had absolutely lost his mind today. 

“Don’t worry, at least you weren’t Khem who attempted to save his Baby by jumping onto the ledge that Thongthai was already suspended from, shortchanging the jump, then grabbing onto his husband who was clinging for dear life already.” Yai answered as he joined them, walking down the hallway.

“Me?” Khem pointed at himself dramatically, then Tharn. “I’m sorry, but who ran into the middle of a firefight not once, not twice, but three time today for his soon to be husband?” Khem pointed at Tharn.

“If everyone could please refrain from broadcasting your incompetence when you are working with your significant other over open comms. Please and thank you!” Akk was pissed.

Everyone switched off their comms and continued ribbing each other as they headed for central command. Tharn wrapped Phaya’s good arm around his shoulder and guided them towards the ambulances. “I promise I will only go where you can follow from now on.” Tharn rested his free hand over the ring that was currently on a chain around his neck.

“That’s all I ask Tharn, that we walk through our work and this life side by side always.” Phaya said softly and kissed Tharn’s temple.

“But maybe we could get a slightly smaller hula hoop as a guide.” Tharn said over comms then smiled as Yai started screaming about not learning his lesson.

“Your just being mean now.” Phaya whispered into Tharn’s hair.

“You are my guide now, but they didn’t hear that part.” Tharn stopped and kissed Phaya soundly before shoving the man onto the gurney behind him.

They would walk through work and life side by side from now on.